


Day 266

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [266]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26623474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [266]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257





	Day 266

Noll got more sideways looks than normal as they limped their way through Hightown. They were covered in blood, both theirs and others. A guard came by to try and stop them from putting the noble’s off their breakfast. She assumed Noll was trying to get to the Chantry for their healing service and was only mildly surprised when Noll said they were looking for the Champion’s residence. She kindly escorted them to the Hawke estate and left them at the front door.

Hawke’s manservant, or dwarfservant, answered Noll’s knock. Hawke was not there, apparently everyone was out looking for a missing guard. Bodahn made sure that Noll drank a healing potion, saying the Champion wouldn’t even notice it was missing. How nice must it be to not have to worry about such things.

Noll couldn’t see any elven artifacts anywhere in the manor. Usually human nobles liked to hang trophies from either the ancient elves or the exalted march on the Dales. As though the atrocity of their ancestors were personal achievements for them to be proud of.

“Where is the Champion?” Noll asked as soon as the potion had done its work. They had not planned on being here any longer than was necessary. They and Merrill had gotten separated during the confusion at the book sale and she hadn’t made it home. Noll had spent the entire previous day and night looking for her but wherever she was, they couldn’t get to her. Noll was less worried that she was dead, Merrill was possibly the most powerful person Noll had ever met, but she had no sense of direction and Darktown was the most complicated part of the city to navigate. Noll had set all their contacts to work and come up empty.

When Hawke finally did make it back he looked exhausted and was, like Noll, covered in blood. 

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said to Noll. 

“Merrill is missing,” Noll said. Hawke’s stature perked up, the weariness leaving his eyes.

“What happened?” he asked.

“There was a templar raid in Darktown, we escaped but got separated. She didn’t make it back to the Alienage. I’ve been looking for her for the past day-and-a half. You claim to care for her, now is your chance to prove it.”

From the look in Hawke’s eyes Noll wondered if the mage was about to attack them. They thought they saw a hint of magical energy cracklin at his fingertips. 

“I’m not the one who abandoned her in Darktown,” he snarled. Noll choked back their retort. They needed Hawke’s help and antagonizing the man would not help. Hawke grabbed some blue potions from a cupboard and chugged them. His eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion but his stride was strong and purposeful. Noll expected him to follow them to Darktown but hawk went towards the Alianage instead. 

“I have people watching this place,” they said. “We would know if she was back.”

Hawke ignored them and went into Merril’s home, apparently he still had a key. Hawke went to the mirror room and found some of the blood that Merrill had left behind from her work. Within a few minutes the mage had crafted a makeshift phylactery. Technically blood magic but no one seemed to care.

“It isn’t as good as the ones in the circle,” Hawke explained. “It will be useless in a few hours so we’ll have to move quickly.”

The phylactery led them to Darktown, as Noll expected, and together they followed the paths of the undercity. They ended up in about the farthest place from where the deal went down as they could be. There was a ruined stone building in an out-of-the-way place. A decent hiding spot. Most of the walls were partially collapsed but the door was still intact.

Hawke reached for the door but it immediately burst open knocking the mage backwards. A templar followed him out and hit the Champion in the ribs with a mace. Hawke dropped to his knees, coughing blood. Three other templars followed the first out and behind them Noll could make out the form of Merrill, trapped, or maybe hiding, under the rubble.

Hawke tried to get up, but the templar stepped on his chest and drew a dagger from his belt. Noll sent him off balance with a kick and drew their daggers. The four templars surrounded noll weapons drawn. Noll prepared to fight and felt a wave of energy wash over them. The world seemed to slow down and as the templars attacked, Noll had all the time in the world to react.

They were normally very good at avoiding attacks but for some reason, probably Hawke’s magic, they were operating on a whole other level now. They flowed around the attacks like air and their daggers through their eyes of the templars and into their skulls. It was a simple matter when they had all the time in the world to aim. In the span of ten heartbeats all four templars fell dead.

Noll helped the Champion to his feet and they both entered the building. It turned out Merril had been hiding, not trapped and she emerged as soon as they made their presence known. 

“I knew you would come for me,” she said. Noll’s relief at seeing Merrill safe overshadowed the sting of seeing her look to Hawk first when she spoke.


End file.
